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With many Clubs facing the reality of no indoor cricket this coming winter due to facility unavailability and local lockdowns; a Flicx Pitch could be the solution to save your indoor cricket programme and provide cricket training opportunties this winter.
Eastbourne Cricket Club are based at The Saffrons multi-sport complex on the south coast of England that also hosts the local Hockey Club, Town Football Club and Compton Croquet Club. Boasting around 170 juniors, Eastbourne CC certainly has a busy schedule with something always going on at The Saffrons. Eastbourne CC are keen to engage with their members all year round, running an excellent summer programme that flows into their winter activities.
With the success of the outdoor summer season throughout the pandemic, Paul Hacker (Eastbourne CC Junior Chairman) and Paul Taylor (Eastbourne CC Junior Secretary) were keen to continue that momentum going into a winter cricket programme in the form of nets and indoor games. However due to COVID measures at local indoor facilities, Eastbourne CC were unable to run an indoor programme this coming winter.
Instead, both Pauls turned to the floodlight astro hockey pitch at The Saffrons as a venue for evening junior games going into the winter season. A problem that they faced was that the Hockey Club were not happy about the wear of the batsman taking their mark on the 3G astro pitch. With the perfect venue right on site and being floodlight, just like the Indian Premier League T20 games, a solution had to be found.
“Bats and cricket balls do take their toll on hockey astros and our local hockey club would not let us play directly on their surface.”
Eastbourne CC had looked into a Flicx Pitch as a possible solution to expanding capacity for their junior fixtures during the summer. After much research, both Pauls and the Club decided to invest in an Original Flicx Pitch that they found on eBay at the end of last year as a second junior pitch. The listing was by a school in Southampton that decided they were no longer going to run a cricket programme; having had the pitch stored for many years at the back of a container. This was a bargain for the Club, as the second hand Flicx pitch was exceptional value for money and would allow them to try out the product before considering investment in a new, upgraded 2G Flicx Pitch surface.
The Flicx Pitch provided the best solution for continuing to play on the Hockey Club’s floodlight astro! Protecting the astro from batsman and bowlers usage. And even after the Flicx Pitch has been rolled away, you wouldn’t even know a cricket game had taken place! The benefits of the Flicx surface to players are excellent grip under foot and realistic responsive bounce; plus pitch markings already being laid out!
“With the pandemic restricting our club’s access to indoor facilities, the Flicx Pitch has been a complete success and a genuine alternative. It has enabled our junior section to continue playing into the autumn and winter uninterrupted. As well as under floodlights on an otherwise restricted surface”
“The Flicx Pitch provides good grip and a responsive surface for a good bounce. This can be improved further by your choice of ball. The surface is consistent and hardwearing”
Eastbourne Cricket Club have continued to host weekly ‘Vampire’ Junior Fixtures on their portable pitch. Finding it incredibly easy to lay out the wicket pre game and then roll away post game. Eastbourne CC store their pitch onsite with ease using the Flicx Safety Trolley.
Following the success of these junior Vampire fixtures, Paul Taylor’s son (who is taking a gap year before attending University) has taken some clips of the Flicx Pitch in action and edited a video for the Club’s social media! Following the video being posted on Facebook, Eastbourne CC has had interest in the pitch from clubs locally and abroad as far as Queensland, Australia!
Download your free copy of the 2023 2G Flicx Pitch Brochure for the world’s most versatile cricket pitch.
